I'm a relative beginner to the banjo altogether, with a keen interest in both Bluegrass and Irish Tenor banjo, and I recently purchased a new Gold Star GF-300fe (Flying Eagle). So I thought it might be nice to have a Group here on BHO dedicated to the owners of the Gold Star GF-series (GF-100, GF-200 and GF-300) banjos.
8 Comments |
 | G says:
10/17/2013 8:22:31 PM
Hey there ... interesting timing. I recently looked for a general Gold Star group, and only saw the "vintage" group. Couldn't figure out how I missed this one, and then realized you just created it :)
I bought a GF300fe from a hangout member and just received it Sep 30. My first "real" banjo, so I am ecstatic!!! LOVE it. I'm not qualified to rate it or compare it to anything other than my cheap Hondo, but I love the thing. Soooo much easier to play. I don't play with others much (yet), but just this past weekend I got a chance to play a few tunes (mostly country) with my guitarist nephew, and my wife couldn't believe how nice the banjo sounded. Someone else thought I had the banjo hooked into an amp :)
Started lessons a year ago after spinning my wheels for nearly 30 years. I am determined to learn this thing!
You also mentioned Irish ... where I live (Newfoundland Canada) Irish music is HUGE ... and I have started to experiment with plectrum style playing for some of the Irish stuff. Very beautiful, and not difficult to do.
Thanks for creating the group ... hope to lots more join up soon. I'll be doing my first recording "soon" to post, and I'll add the link here.
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 | Stardust says:
10/18/2013 1:04:46 PM
Greetings, G! Glad you found this newly established Gold Star Group and glad to hear that there are some other interested Gold Star owners out there.
It sounds like you and I may have a few key things in common. I too am a beginning banjo player and I too just recently purchased a new GF300fe. They truly are an attractive and well-made instrument. I haven't had a lot of time to toy with mine just yet (too busy with work), but I'm hoping to get serious with it late next week, and I'll probably post some more comments on it at that time. And yes, by all means, go ahead and post your first recording whenever it becomes available. I'd love to hear it, and I'm sure everyone else here on the BHO would enjoy listening to it as well. Until next time, enjoy that new banjo!
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 | tlowe311 says:
10/30/2013 8:13:48 AM
I love my Gold Star Gf-300, I purchased it back in March/2013. I used to take lessons from Tom Adams back in the 80's when I was 12 years old and owned a Hondo II bought from Chris Warner. I played the crap out of the Hondo II until I was 14 and then put the banjo in a closet for 30 some years. I decided to start playing again this past January. And I started to take lessons again with Tom Adams. My first lesson in Feb/2013, I asked Tom Adams how many/types of Banjos he owns,after all he has won multiple IBMA Banjo Player of the Year awards. He told me, he only has one banjo. The same Gold Star GF100 banjo he has owned since 1980's. I plan to keep my Gold Star gf-300 forever and I must say, each month that Gold Star is sounding better and better.
Enjoy the Gold Star!
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| Stardust says:
10/30/2013 12:12:55 PM
Greetings 'tloew'!
Thanks for your recent comment and welcome to the Gold Star GF Group. I'm pleased to hear that you're happy with your GF-300. I too am quite happy with mine. I wrote a recent product review for it under the Review section here on BHO, in which I was rather critical of the poor quality materials and woodworking of the wood rim (the one on mine was simply terrible!), but otherwise, I'm very happy with it. The neck, fingerboard and fretwork are all excellent, the gold plating is quite nice, and the flaming on the back of the resonator is also quite nice. Perhaps most importantly, the projection and sound quality are both "killer". . . crisp, bright and loud!
I've made a few mods to mine that are probably worth mentioning. I replaced the original 5th string Gotoh peg with a gold Schaller, and I replaced the original Presto tailpiece with a modified Kershner. The change in tailpiece was definitely a worthwhile improvement - it eliminated some of some of the brassy overtones and provided some added sustain. I've also completely refinished and re-worked the factory wood rim on mine - I stripped, sanded, re-stained and Tung-Oil'd it, and I greatly improved the snugness of fit between the wood rim and tone ring by carefully wrapping the lip of the wood rim (the 1-cm deep area where it interlocks or meshes with the tone ring), using successive layers of thin adhesive copper tape to eliminate some of the slop or play that was in there. It worked like a charm! So all-in-all, my GF-300 is probably as good as its ever going to get now, and like you, I suspect I'll own it for as long as I'm graced with the gift of life.
Anyway, good luck with your own GF-300 and your related banjo adventures, and thanks again for signing up!
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 | Ric in Richmond says:
6/13/2014 1:24:25 PM
I just acquired this week a GF-100HF '06 from a forum member. Really enjoying it and glad to have discovered Gold Star!
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| Ric in Richmond says:
9/5/2014 5:12:19 AM
Liked the 100HF so much I picked up a GF85 last week.
The 100 I hadn't torn down (just swapped strings and made sure all the bits and pieces were attached correctly and I did add a Fults 1934) but the 85 had some clean up needing to be done.
I took it apart and put in a remo "no label" head, PF140 crowe lights. Other than that all stock.
Now I want to pull apart my GF100 since I think the GF85 sounds better!! Just had more snap and volume. Probably the thinner head and lighter tailpiece.
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| Ric in Richmond says:
12/28/2014 3:58:58 AM
I pulled the GF100 apart and installed a Remo No logo and the original tailpiece with PF140's. Now the 100 sounds as good as the 85.
Sold the Fults. Loved the quality, didn't like the sustain.
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| Ric in Richmond says:
12/28/2014 4:07:14 AM
Also went to Richie Dotson Bridges on each.
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